Golf-ball.



N. 70l.737. Patentedlune, |902.

I E. KEMPSHALL. r

GULF BALL;

mppucmon med Apr. 2s, 1902'.

(No Model.)

wilnessesw- El eaz r yk flan??? e ezln/v a UNITED STATES ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, OF BOSTON,

PATENT OFFICE.

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE JERSEY.

GOLF-BALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters )Piate-nt;No. 701,737, dated J une 3, 1902. Application find Alim 2s, 1902. senti Np. 104,315. (No man.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELEAZER KEMPsHALL, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Golf-Balls, of which the followingis a specic'ation.V Y 1 This invention relates to playing-balls, and particularly to those used in the game of golf.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional view of a shell-blank. Fig.' 2 illustrates a stage in the p roductionof a ball. Fig. 3 is a view similar to. Fig. 2, but illustrating a later stage. Fig. Lfis a nished ball made in accordance with my present improvements and partly broken away, so as to exhibit its construction. Y v

In the several'views similar parts are designated by 'similar'characters V'of reference.

Preferably I Yemploy a previously-formed thick shell'or hollow sphere A, of gutta-percha, and lined with" fabric at A', said fabric being incorporated with the gutta-percha. This blank may bepformsedgof v-compressed hemispherical or otherfsegments Ysuitably cemented or joined. Althoughit is illustrated as round, still in this stage the shell need not be a true sphere. I preferably form said shell-blank with an opening B, communicating with the hollow C thereof. v

I place the sphere A in a spherical chamber D, formed in a mold consisting of opposing halves E and F, having registering dowels G and clamped together by any suitable means. Into the opening B in the latter'I insert the mouth of a funnel H, whereby the interior C of the ball is placed in communication with a vessel or receptacle .Iyformedv or provided in the apparatus above the chainber D, said receptacle having a plunger 'Kr I place in the receptacle J a quantityof plastic or other mobile material, preferably;

gutta-percha, which may by the action 'of heat be reduced to afluent condition, as at L, Fig. 2; Thismaterial flows down the funnel H Yinto the hollow-'of thensphere A and drives out the' air throughla'vent M,"Which in this instance is illustrated as a groove formed in the side Wall of the main opening B and lying Without the funnel I-I. In the portion F of the mold there may be provided a'v vent N, communicatingat P with the ballvent M, so the air escapingvfrom the ball may be conducted out of the apparatus. The iiuid or plastic gutta-percha may therefore settle or be forced by the plunger K through the funnel H, so as to completely fill 4the interior of the ball A, whereupon the vent N in the mold may be closed by a screw-plug Q, Fig. 3. The plunger K may then be pressed still farther down, so as to' force more of the filling material in to the interior of the ball, causing the Walls thereof to yield and expanding the shell until it completely fills the large spherical chamber D, as at Fig. 3. The gnttalpercla filling is allowed to pass from a liquid into a dry or hard condition while the plunger is still pressed down, so that the expanded condition of: the shell Aa is made permanent, as indicated by R, the hole left thereby in the4 ball beingfilled With a plug S, Fig., 4. Noty only is'a ball thus produced extremely compact or solid, but it will also be understood thatthe material of the ball from center to peripheryis in an abnormal condition, the core beingheld under:compression by the shell, thereby increasing the efficiency of the ball largely, because the compressed core eectually maintains the shell in a tru'e spherical form and immediately and `powerfully resists distortion thereof by a blow and by reaction aids in speeding the ball when struck by an implement. The sti fabric lining A' prevents the shell A from collapsing under the heat of the dies and keeps the core quite distinct from the shell. f Itincreases the durability of the ball and also renders the same sufficiently dead for putting without reducing its driving qualities.

Having described my invention, I claimn l. A playing-.ball comprising a highly-com- `pacted substantial fabric-lined gutta-percha IOO tended by gutta-percha injected thereinto and forming a core; the diameter of said core being about one-half that of the complete ball.

7. A playing-ball comprising a shell formed at least partially from plastic material lined with fabric, and distended by similar plastic material injected thereinto.

8. Aplaying-ball comprising a highly-compacted substantial fabric-lined gutta-percha shell, and a sphere of gutta-percha held nnder permanent compression by said shell.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL.

Witnesses:

B. C. STICKNEY, JOHN O. SEIFERT. 

